Office Hours: Tuesdays, 11:45-1:15 in Academic Advising Center, OR
Thursdays from 1-2:30pm in the Academic Advising Center Satellite Office in Grant
South B-Tower Basement, OR by appointment

Introduction

The Middle
East is an important and often deeply misunderstood region of the
world. Its significance emanates from a number of sources. For instance, it is
the cradle of Western civilization. At various points in ancient times,
Egyptian, Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian empires all flourished in this
part of the world. Also, the Middle East is
the birthplace of three major religions - Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam - as well as home to a
variety of cultures and peoples including, but certainly not limited to, Arabs,
Berbers, Armenians, Jews, Iranians, Turks and Kurds. This diversity has and
will continue to serve as a source of conflict. Further, outside intervention
has been a constant theme throughout Middle East
history. While the region is not in danger of being overrun by Romans, Mongols,
or Turks, it will continue to be of vital interest to the United States and other major
powers. The Middle East is the world’s largest
source of petroleum, a major recipient of foreign aid, and of vital strategic
importance. And now in the absence of a major communist threat, many Western
states regard militant Islamic fundamentalism and certain Middle Eastern
countries among their greatest threats. This perception has only been
reinforced by the events of September 11, 2001, the religious justifications of
some of the more extreme groups involved in insurgency/resistance in Iraq,
and recently initiated open repression of the Iranian reform movement.

Despite
its significance, the Middle East is often
confusing and, at times, inexplicable to the average American. Much of this
mystery or complexity stems from the diversity of the region. Many individuals,
for example, are unfamiliar with the various sects of Islam and the divisions
within other regional faiths. In addition, the greater Middle
East comprises of no less than twenty states, each with its own
character and history. Moreover, these countries embrace a variety of political
systems: authoritarian regimes, monarchies, parliamentary democracies,
presidential democracies, theocracies and so forth. Last, there are significant
distinctions among states in terms of wealth, population and territorial size,
education levels, minority groups, internal politics, domestic policies and
foreign relations.

The
primary purpose of this course is to make sense of this significant but often
confusing region of the world. While this investigation cannot ignore religion,
culture, and social life, it is important to remember this is a political
science course and these topics will not be the major emphasis. Rather, the
vast majority of our time will be devoted to studying the politics, governments
and foreign relations of several Middle Eastern states. This country-by-country
examination will be preceded by background information, including political
history since World War I. The first portion of the course will focus on the
major conflicts that have shaped the region. Additionally, time permitting;
various theories on leadership and legitimacy in the Middle
East will be surveyed.

It
is important to note that this course is intended for students with little or
no knowledge of the Middle East. While it will
be taught in a way that corresponds to its 300-level classification, it is not
likely to appeal to students who have studied or lived in the region for
several years.

This
course has three specific objectives, and one more general objective. The first
is to facilitate a basic understanding of the leaders, events, and issues that
have shaped Middle East history and politics
since the First World War. The second aim is to help students develop a sound
and realistic familiarity with the government, politics and foreign relations
of specific nations and states. While we cannot study the entire region in 15
weeks, we will explore a number of countries at the core of the region. Both
the country selection and the lecture format are designed to illustrate the
true diversity of the region. Thus, the third objective is to help students
truly appreciate this important reality. As the semester develops, the hope is
that students will be able to see and draw comparisons between the countries
under study. To assist in this effort, we will examine and discuss individual
countries through a common framework or set of factors. Finally, while not a formal
objective, it is hoped that this course will instill or ignite an intellectual
curiosity that will lead students to continue to seek information and knowledge
about this most important region.

Class Format

As mentioned, the
presumption is that students have little or no background in the subject
matter. For that reason, each class will have a lecture component. However,
questions and comments about the material are encouraged and always welcome.
Also, members of the class should be prepared to respond to questions the
instructor might ask about a lecture topic, assigned readings, or contemporary
events. We will spend a good portion of our time discussing and dissecting Middle East politics as a group. Regular participation is
expected. It is very important to remember that all opinions and interpretations
are welcome however, they must be presented in a calm and respectful manner.
This point is particularly important because certain Middle
East issues are closely intertwined with some individuals’ political
and religious beliefs.

Current Events

To maintain a contemporary focus and facilitate a
more interactive class setting, we will track and discuss events throughout the
semester. Each Thursday, at the beginning of class, students will be asked to
introduce new stories related to Middle East
politics. Besides briefly summarizing the news report, it will be necessary to
do one of two things: offer an opinion on the article being discussed and/or
draw a connection between the facts of the report and the course material
(e.g., a theory, concept, reading, previous news article, etc.) Again,
all opinions and interpretations are welcome as long as they are presented in a
calm and respectful manner. Articles should come from a recognized
major news source (a list of potential sources will be provided, although it is
not all-inclusive). Students will not be required to subscribe to the publication,
but will be required to submit an article and a typed summary of the article in
class each Thursday beginning the second week of classes (see Graded
Requirements section).

Assigned Readings

The textbook (see below) and readings used for this
course were selected to provide the most up-to-date material as possible as
well as maintain a high quality of academic intellectualism. For those students
faced with limited budgets, a copy of the textbook will be placed on two-hour
reserve in the library. If possible, however, I would encourage students to
have a personal copy of the book not only for use during the semester, but for
future reference as well. Any other readings assigned will be placed on
Blackboard where students can retrieve them at will.

Grade Requirements

There are five basic requirements. The first is written examinations. The midterm exam
will be given on Thursday February 26. The final exam will be administered on Thursday
May 6 from 4:00-5:50pm. Both the midterm and the final will each account for
20% of the final course grade. A study guide will be distributed before each
exam. In order to pass this class, all exams and tests must be completed.

The
second requirement is the submission of 14 neatly clipped or photocopied
articles with an accompanying well-written, seven to eight sentence paragraph
that reacts thoughtfully to a news story that bears a clear relationship with Middle East politics. For instance, the type paragraph
can tie a selected article to a course reading, draw a connection to a theory
or concept discussed in class, relate its significance to present or future
policy, or convey how a policy-maker should address the issue. Regardless of
the approach, the paragraph must be well constructed and thought out. Beginning
on Thursday of the second week of classes, one submission will be required each
Thursday after our current events discussion in class; no late submissions will be
accepted. This component of the grade is worth 15% of the final grade.
Each submission will be worth one point, while the instructor, out of the
goodness of his heart, will give everyone an automatic 1% to begin with.

The
third requirements will involve a short but important test. A geography test,
which will be given Thursday March 25, will examine students’ basic knowledge
of Middle East region. This quiz will be 15%
of the final grade. More details will be provided in class.

The fourth requirement is a
short essay paper of 5-7 pages. This paper will be due at the beginning of
class on Thursday April 22 (and will be returned the day of the final exam).
The essay paper will account for 20% of the final grade. Requirements for the
paper will be discussed in class in class.

Lastly, class participation
will contribute 10% to the final course grade. Components of this grade
include: (a) regular attendance (no more than three absences to secure full
marks in this category; more than seven unexcused absences will
result in automatic failure of this class without exception), (b)
regular and thoughtful participation during lectures and discussions, (c)
introducing and discussing materials during current events discussions, and (d)
completing any additional tasks that may be assigned.

Attendance
will generally be taken at the beginning of each class session. Moreover, being
tardy will be treated the same as being absent. This is done in order
to keep classroom disruptions to a minimum and provide a better teaching and
learning environment. Essentially, each missed class after the first two will
result in a 2% deduction from the final grade. Missing no more than two classes
will result in full points for the participation grade. As previously mentioned
above, more than seven unexcused absences will result in automatic failure of
this class without exception.

Components of the Final Grade

a. Midterm Exam=20%

b. Final Exam=20%

c. Current Events=15%

d. Geography Test=15%

e. Essay=20%

f. Participation=10%

Odds & Ends

1) Make-up Exams: Make-up exams will only be given
in extraordinary circumstances. If such circumstances arise, please contact the
instructor as soon as possible and before the scheduled exam. To keep the
process fair for everyone in the course, students may be asked to support
requests for make-up exams with documentation. A missed examination without
prior notification and a documented excuse will result in a zero and a grade of
“F” for the course, as opposed to an incomplete.

2) Students with Disabilities: The instructor
recognizes that some students require special testing environments because of
documented physical and learning disabilities. If such arrangements are
necessary, the instructor should be informed early in the semester. Please do
not wait until exam time.

3) Late Assignments: The only out-of-class
assignments other than readings are the current events requirements, which, as
mentioned, must be turned in at the time due; there will be no exceptions unless
the student has an excused absence.

4) Submitting Materials: Assignments should be
handed in to me personally, or given to a department secretary to be
time-stamped. Assignments placed under my office door or sent with a friend
tend to disappear at times. If a student selects one of these modes of
delivery, he or she does so at their own risk.

5) Extra Credit: Extra credit assignments will not
be given on an individual basis to raise final course grades. Like make-up
exams, such assignments raise major questions of equity. If the need arises to
provide some sort of extra-credit assignment, the entire class will be given
the opportunity to complete it.

6) Handouts: Handouts, including study guides, are a
privilege for those students who attend class on a regular basis. No student is
entitled to supplemental materials simply because they are registered for the
course.

7) Incomplete Requests: Such petitions will be
granted in extraordinary circumstances. The instructor reserves the right to
ask for documentation to verify the problem preventing completion of the course
by the normal deadlines. If the student does not present documentation from a
university office or official, the matter will be left to the instructor’s
discretion.

8) Academic Dishonesty: Please refer to the NIU
Undergraduate Catalog (p.52) section entitled “Academic Integrity” for details.
In general the point is that students should do their own work and learn the
proper rules of citation and paraphrasing.

9) Class Participation: It is recognized that class
discussion comes more easily for some than others. By temperament or habit some
people are “talkers” and others “listeners.” While the preference is that
students volunteer to participate, I may at times call upon individuals if that
is the only way to bring them into the discussion. If you are particularly
uneasy about speaking in class, please see me. There are some things I can
suggest that may help to make participation easier.

10) Unannounced Quizzes: The instructor reserves the
right to conduct “pop quizzes” if during the course of the semester it becomes
apparent that students are not completing the reading assignments in time for
discussion in class.

Important Dates

News Article Submissions:Thursdays at the beginning of class

Midterm Examination:February
25

Geography Test:March
25

Essay Paper Due:April
22

Final Examination:May
6, 4:00-5:50PM

Course Schedule and Reading Assignments

Week 1

January 12:Course
Introduction-Syllabus

Lecture-Knowledge, Media Bias

No Readings

January 14:Video-Inside
Islam

Week 2

January 19:Regional Background-Regional
Characteristics

Readings: Palmer-Chapter
1, pp. 1-15

January 21:Regional
Background-The Rise of Islam

Readings: Palmer-Chapter 1, pp. 15-33

Week 3

January 26-28: Regional
Background-Colonialism
thru Independence

Readings: Palmer-Chapter
1, pp. 34-42

Week 4

February 2-4: Egypt-Political
History & Contemporary Politics

Readings: Palmer-Chapter 2 (pp. 43-89)

Week 5

February 9-11: Egypt-continued-
The Political Environment

Readings: Palmer Chapter 2 (pp. 89-102)

Begin Israel-Political History

Readings: Palmer-Chapter 3 (pp. 103-151)

Week 6

February 16-18: Israel-Contemporary
Politics & The Political Environment